by Gary Miller
Cannabis reform is booming in Italy. A ballot campaign launched by several pro-cannabis organizations and political parties in the country last week earned the required 500,000 signatures to continue down the road to cannabis decriminalization.
The campaign needed to gather at least 500,000 supporting signatures by Sept. 30 in order to qualify for a popular referendum, in which Italian citizens vote “Yes” or “No” for decriminalizing cannabis cultivation for personal use. However, the signatures must first be verified by the Supreme Court of Cassation, as well as the Constitutional Court must assess whether the referendum question is constitutional.
The proposed legal reform will decriminalize the purchase, sale, and cultivation of cannabis, CNN reports. Medical cannabis use is permitted, and Italy initially decriminalized recreational cannabis consumption in 1993, but those who buy, sell, or mass cultivate cannabis currently face up to 10 years in prison.
Pro-legalization groups claim that this reform will “put an end to unnecessary trials for small amounts of the drug and ensure that patients who use it to relieve their excruciating pain will never have to face a court again.” They also positioned the creation of thousands of jobs as well as increased tax revenues as incentives for changing the law. According to Forbes, illicit cannabis sales have earned organized crime networks 6.3 billion Euros a year.
Campaign organizers are continuing to obtain signatures before submitting the referendum proposal. Should the proposal make it through all the legal hoops, cannabis will be more accessible than ever before for Italy’s estimated 6 million recreational users. The country continues to have a more liberal stance on cannabis compared to other members of the European Union.
Recently, #referendumcannabis was trending in Italy. A message from the Facebook page leading the charge thanked supporters for their efforts, stating, “So with a smile we will continue to share, explain, take to the streets and discuss because we know perfectly well what we want—legal cannabis and an Italy free from the mafia!”
I think it’s finally time that it becomes 100% legal everywhere no more going to jail because you have a joint or you have to buy it from God only knows who I am a patient and I’m glad to do it legally I don’t have to be in trouble
It’s safe to say that the wheels on the cannabis reform express have certainly been set in motion. As of April 2022, 47 states have legalized cannabis in some form or another. However, the plant’s federally illegal status—U.S. law categorizes cannabis as a Schedule I drug—means that businesses operating in this industry cannot conduct transactions with…
Cannabis’ former reputation as a gateway drug may have been dispelled, but it turns out that there is some element of truth to the rumor: The plant’s progressively evolving status as a normalized medicine in 37 U.S. states and a recreational substance in 18 U.S. states is prompting a wave of change across America’s statehouses….
Researchers working at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson have refined a method of ketamine use in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Specifically, the group focused on ketamine’s ability to relieve the side effects of a common treatment called Levodopa. Nicknamed “K,” “special K,” “cat valium,” and “vitamin K,” ketamine is…
Austin decriminalized cannabis possession, Vancouver is now home to some not-so-legal magic mushroom shops, and a British woman shared her life-changing medical marijuana journey. Let’s dive into this week’s cannanews. Austin Voters Pass Cannabis Decriminalization Bill Voters in Austin, Texas, have approved Proposition A, a ballot measure that decriminalizes cannabis possession and bans no-knock warrants….
Cannabis strains have a multitude of different names. The names are a way to help identify different varieties of cannabis genetics. The name of a specific line of cannabis genetics should help identify the strain for consumers and growers alike. However, this isn’t necessarily true anymore. We live in an era where people will call…
The worldwide skincare industry, which is projected to inflate to $189.3 billion USD by 2025, could soon be merging more closely with…
There’s no denying the fact that CBD is dominating the wellness landscape. Increasing awareness of the cannabinoid’s medicinal effects is going hand-in-hand…
As if losing a limb is not hard enough, experiencing pain in the part of the limb that is no longer there…
